Laboratory studies of the diffusive transport of 137Cs and 60Co through potential waste repository soils.

Tests using reconstituted samples have been performed to assess the diffusive transport of (137)Cs and (60)Co through natural regolith materials from a region in South Australia being considered for a radioactive waste repository. A double diffusion cell apparatus made of polycarbonate resin was developed to estimate the effective diffusion (D(e)) and sorption coefficients (K(d)) that allowed large withdrawals from the source and collector cells and has enabled tests with low concentrations of radioactivity. An alternative to porous stainless steel filter plates has also been used to reduce uncertainty in test interpretation.

High-level expression and bulk crystallization of recombinant L-methionine gamma-lyase, an anticancer agent.

L-Methionine gamma-lyase is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme which has tumor selective anticancer activity. An efficient production process for the recombinant enzyme was constructed by using the overexpression plasmid in Escherichia coli, large-scale cultivation, and practical crystallization on an industrial scale. The plasmid was optimized with a promoter and the region of the ribosome-binding site.

Properties of two tropical soils in relation to the transport of radionuclides in the rhizosphere.

The uptake of radionuclides by commercial crops is being studied at two sites, Blain and Tippera, in a research farm in the Northern Territory, Australia. Studies have been performed to characterise the properties of the two soils, particularly the hydraulic properties that are considered to significantly influence the transport and plant uptake of these radionuclides in the soils The Blain soil, a sandy loam, has been categorised as SM according to the Unified Soil Classification System. Quartz is the dominant mineral for the Blain soil.